Blame it on my ADD
by elfodomestico
Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world the Akatsuki gets a mission, for which Kisame and Itachi has to travel to Kyoto to visit a geisha district. The story aims to unfold the thoughts of the characters of the akatsuki and the characters I made up, while getting through the story.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The flicker of the lighter played on his hands as he lit the joint. He has woken up again drained in sweat from a nightmare as usual at 2:30. He always woke up in 2 or 3 hours whenever he went to sleep, and then he always smoked one. It wasn't tasty… at all. Actually he hated the taste but it did help a lot, not just to him. The hideout had been growing cannabis for years in the cellar since one of the members had suggested that it is "Damn good for PTSD" as he put it. It was illegal of course but then again this place was a bloody hide out, it's existence and everyone's in it was illegal. Since 9 out of 10 here were male they nick named the place Josei, the Japanese for women. Nobody really felt home here though it was a sort of home and a sort of family.

As he exhaled the smoke he looked around the moon lit room, it was neatly organized, everything is at it's proper place expect from his cloths from the night before, that was thrown carelessly on the floor… he will picked that up tomorrow. He has arrived back exhausted form training and that was all he could do to take a shower. Tomorrow was another mission, he just got back from the previous one 2 days ago, but if you made a living this way, you never had a lot of free time and that was good and right cause it helped you not to think. Thinking was downright cruel at this point. He has killed or helped to kill so many times now and tomorrow he will have to do it again. Turning off emotions was now a second nature; there was no choice about it. He realized he has become almost a non-human thing, whatever that was, when he no longer remembered all of their faces. But there were faces he could never forget and those would come back to haunt him, he knew and that was all well and right, he deserved it. He had reasoned with himself during countless sleepless night that it was all for the right cause, all for the greater good of peace, but what the fucking hell was it really, the greater good?

2:32 ever since he was 4, since he has seen war for the first time, He remembered his father saying "this is was son…" and looking at the cold battle field with all the dead and the dying, bringing one water and after that a second later, the man who he had helped trying to cut his throat. He was fighting back his tears with all his might, not to disappoint his father… his only goal has been to end it, to end the violence, to bring peace, and acceptance to this god forsaken world. He has abounded the illusion that it was possible… Now all he wanted was to protect the village which despised him, and the brother who hated him. That night something has broken him forever. He did what he did for this idea, to save more life in the expense of a few… A precious few… Though, apparently, precious only to him… and his little brother. What was Sauske doing now? It's 2:35… hopefully sleeping not troubled by all this, but then again today was Itachi's 20th birthday… His little brother was sure to curse this day. He was probably burning with heated and vengeance towards his big brother now. Itachi played imagining Sauske making a woodoo doll out of him and burning it. The thought put a bitter smile on his face. He put out the reminder of the cigarette.

He remembered that up until his 14th birthday his mom used to make a delicious cake, with tricolor-ed dumplings as toppings. This was unorthodox strictly speaking but then again who the fuck cared. He imagined his father's proud smile and his way too practical gift, and his brother running towards him to give him a birthday hug, and then taking Izumi to a tea house and chat the late afternoon away. And Shisui promising him he will carry him home and hold his hair if he had too much sake, though strictly speaking he should not have tasted it yet. These were bitter thoughts almost heart-breaking but it has been 6 years since then and the strong emotional oppression had it's effect. This were the only moments he felt anything … remembering them… but he never liked to feel, it made everything way too complicated.

2:40 he better go back to sleep now, but can he do that? The circles under his eyes were already enormous, and was giving the impression of an old sickly man. Though to be honest he did feel old and sickly …

On the morrow they will travel to a territory he has never been to, it was almost comical he thought to himself how much he has not seen of this world. It was the year 2092 according to the Christian calendar, at least that if what he has heard of the old man a week ago. He told him things about the world he has never knew, and which really got him thinking. According to the old man, the world was not always like this, secretive, closed and for want of a better word local… He told him above a glass or two that there was a time when trade, finance, labor almost flowed without boundaries, that it was easy to have friends from all over the world, from different countries and that people lived in relative peace. According to the old man, of course his tale has to be treated with care, for all Itachi knew the old man's memories of his youth, might have been deceiving him. Any way what went wrong the old man did not know exactly, he has talked about nations being afraid for their cultures, religions and fear of the different has brought about a series of terror attacks and a war. Officially he did not know who won but in reality nobody did, the world went far right and the end was, genocides, xenophobia and almost completely isolated small nations which never got in contact anymore. He knew the land of the Wind, Mist etc. alright but they were one country once, part of Japan, which apparently used to be the name of a country. He guessed the name of their language must have come from there. As it seem that was the world Itachi knew now. If he accepted this as true then the world has come maddeningly close to what he wanted for it only to go as far from it as possible. Today war was a necessity, almost like a commodity, without it the economy and whole social classes would perish. His social class would, the shinobi world, then again it would not be a bad thing as far as he was concerned.

2:45 Ha has heard a sudden violent shout, and a bang. People granting, struggling and silent mummers. Deidara woke again, Sasori will soon bring him the marijuana and the place should be silent again soon enough. The whole place could qualify as an insane asylum he reflected, with a bitter cynical smile, nearly everyone here has one or more diagnosable mental problem. It might do good for most of them to bring a therapist here but he knew the therapist would not last for long and even if he did no therapy could heal their scars, it was just way too deep, he reflected.

2:50 He lent back onto his pillows and lay there lost in thoughts. A crow has landed on his window perch, casting a shadow in the moonlight.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

2:50 In the moonlight she walked home drunk again, she have tried to entertain them with talking, dancing, poems or anything, however the only thing which seemed to have any effect was drinking games. The little girl, waited for her half dozed off, with her samisen beside her, she was probably practicing until she was too tired to concentrate. The only reason Mother allowed this was because she was quite a poor player and Mother could sleep even in a thunder storm. It was probably because when she was a child, during the war she had no other option.

2:55 The Maiko went in kicked off her shoes and went upstairs, she has heard the little girl hurriedly putting them in order before running up after her mistress. This was the Maiko's favourite night in the week for today she could let her hair down and sleep on a pillow, next day she will go to the hair dresser anyway. She was not completely used to the geisha "pillow", the takamakura, Mother only allowed this one day a week comfort because, even though she was still an apprentice, she was already quite popular and was preforming in the theater a solo dance every year, for the past 2 years in the spring dances . As she was being helped out of a dark blue kimono the winter lands cape embroiled on it, whit silver snowflakes, she looked at herself and the little girl in the mirror, how she used to be just like her. She could see it in her little maid's eye that she was wondering if she is ever going to be like her mistress and she knew she, herself has been wondering about that countless nights when she was helping Shatohina, the eldest geisha in their okiya, to bed after a long night. She wondered distantly whether she smelled of cigarette smoke, sake and male perfume, just as Shatohinan always did at times like this. She also wondered if the others were home already. There were two earning geisha at her okiya, Shatohina and Shatoyuki, they were sisters, not by blood but in the geisha way, which was almost the same. Shatoyuki made her debut as a full fletched geisha this fall, and Sonoe could not help but be a little jealous. Shatoyuki was a year older than her that was true, however, no matter how good friends they were … well she was a little clumsy, she had to admit that. Shatoyuki had the greatest and most generous and kindest heart she had ever known anyone to have and man, especially man with scares felt that, and was naturally driven to her, in fact everyone was. This Mother often put it "is bad for business" , which meant that even though she was her own daughter, flesh and blood, Mother did not want her to continue the business after her death or retirement.

3:00, the little girl, Tumi, folded the kimono away with extreme care, bowed and left the room. Sonoe started washing down her make up. Satoyuki was the only one who was born here in the okiya the other two were sold to the geisha house when they were just children. It might sound cruel for some, but to be able to be a geisha was grate honour, and a girl could experience a way of life, to which her previous position would never even have allowed her to dream of. Sonoe did not know when Shatohina came to the okiya or indeed in what circumstances, it was not appropriate to talk about such things. She could very well remember, though she was only 6 at the time, when she came to be here. She did not have a lot of memory of life before that, sometimes she even wondered that what she could remember was true at all or did she just made it up.

3:10 she went to her bed in her silk eggshell coloured under garment, and lay down. She remembered, forests, rocks and a lot of snow. Her home was a small village on Mount Tate, and her family were shepherds. She did not remember this though only the animals and how she used to play with them in the mud after the summer rains. The truth was that Momi, for that was her name until she has received her geisha name, was sold after the lord of the land took away all their livestock, for the war against a neighbouring territory. Ever since the great war most of the countries slogan has become the same as the, slogan of the USA during the end of 2010s. "Make something great again!" for whatever that meant . Most countries had no idea when they were grate, even though they agreed they were great once. This differences of ideas has lead to civil wars in some cases and in some total oppression of parts of the country. With the casualties of the grate war and the fighting afterwards, and the desire to go back to the past most has developed an almost medieval system. For most people from the beginning of the 21st century it would surely seem peculiar, the modern technologies of the past mixed with the medieval elements of the nationalist states. Of course not everyone was poor but the wealth gap was bigger than in most part of modern history. The war was over in 2071 and most of the civil wars in the region was done by the year 2076 and ever since then there were relative peace.

3:20 Sonoe has turned to her left side to blow out the candle, and tried to go to sleep, though the room was still spinning when she closed her eyes. Though they were a quite rich okiya the electricity was so scares these days they could not afford it. She was not afraid of hangover after all she was still young only 18. Hangovers are not that bad when you are 18. She was thinking about her appointments for tomorrow, who will be there, who won't. She felt sick only thinking about might seeing the president again. The president was the head of a company manufacturing building materials of some sort, Sonoe had no idea exactly what kind, but he has brought her mizuage a little more than 3 years ago for a record price, she was quite found of him at the time however ever since that he has taken no interest in her whatsoever and she could not help but feel worthless now it was taken from her. He was always looking at younger girls now how cave was still indicted. They have met on big parties together and during this time her mask of a perfect emotionless geisha was at the verge of collapsing, under the weight of the sense of worthlessness. Not that he was handsome, he had scars all over his face and he was at the end of his 50's, but something in his personality captured her once years ago and now out of the pleasure of seeing him only the bitterness remained. She hoped she would see the chairman of Suzuki, he was always really kind to her and she regarded him as a friend. He was a chairman of a company which have existed long before the war and it was grate honour to be able to entertain him. It was always pleasurable as well, he always told stories of the time before the war, and spoke about novels and poetry of other continents, enjoying how the geishas uh-ed and ah-ed about parts. His favourite audience was Sonoe ,however, and he was her favourite client, thought that was never to be shown. She had secretly hoped he would be her danna once, not that she had liked him sexually, but because than she imagined, they would chat the night away preforming poetry, and reading aloud to one another, she would hear about distant places and peculiar people she had no hopes of meeting, but she was fascinated by them non the less. She had no desire for anyone sexually anyway. She had very few experiences of the sort and she had no idea that this kind of interaction between man and woman could be anything more than tolerable. She would never even dream of love, it was not in her place to do so, she wondered sometimes, when she entertained on wedding receptions how it might be to be the bride, to live with someone you liked and to wear those beautiful dresses, these were only fleeting thought, not deep nor significant. She was not starving as so many did in the country nowadays and as far as she was concerned she felt lucky. Mother had made sure to remained her of this every day.

3:10 she has finally fallen into a deep sleep and her little maid tiptoed in as she heard her mistresses heavy breathing. Everyone had seniority over her in the okiya she was permitted to do a very few things, her stomach was in a knot when she lifted the top of her mistress's jewelry box. Mika, for that was her name, has tried the different hair ornaments and broaches imagining herself, playing and guessing which one came from which man. Because she was small and smart she knew all of the secrets there was to know about all the inhabitants of the Okyia. She was never paid any attention; a good maid is a maid, who is invisible, so she was free to observe. True she has started her training, however because there were so few maids in the okyia "for economic reasons" as Mother put it she still had to go on with most of her choirs. She was 8 years old and was sold to the geisha house a year ago, she missed home, she missed his brothers, but so far there were no opportunity to get away and she knew that if she did try to escape and failed she would never become a geisha and would be regarded as a poor investment.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"A poor investment for us" that was what Kakuzu has said. He was responsible for all the finances in the organization and killing the guy off, he thought a poor investment. Maybe in the long long run it might be paid back but that was a lot of assumptions. Pain the leader was the one who had the executive decision of deciding what missions should be done or and which should not. Of course Kakuzu was able to advice since he was the best in any kind of finance and investment, but Pain judged whether it was advantageous politically.

6:30 Kakuzu has poured out his coffee in a half dazed state and he has reached for the milk jug. Normally he would regard killing anybody a good idea, however not that one. Not a lot of people knew it of him but he was not born to the ninja world like everyone else here, he was born in Russia not long before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He was the son of one of the important party members and after the fall, the family has become one of the leader of the Russian underworld. In the mafia and so in the party what he has seen from his father was that if one has any problem with anyone they just went and killed them off. It wasn't that he was heartless, in fact he had actually had 3 hearts, but that he regarded life and the prosper of it as a kill or be killed game, a natural way of living just as in the wild. Since he was not able to die until all his five hearts had been killed off he lived through most than others living today. This practical immortality has come with a price though, some psychiatrists might say he was suffering from schizophrenia, but the truth was that he was hearing all five of his personality within him, or the personalities of the people whose hearts was in him to be more precise. This ability was his kekeigenkay a mutation in his chromosomes, which run in his family, his family however were mostly dead now, except for his uncle, who was still running the "family business" back in Russia. He did not usually thought about him though.

6:35 he was buttering a toast on the breakfast table, and reaching for the jam. Raspberry jam, that was his favourite. He liked berries those remained him of his childhood. Berries and priogi that was his favourite, his grandma always made it for him. Then he was sent to japan to learn to skills of a ninja so he can help out, his father has heard legends about it. He had been trained with formal KGB agents before so when he arrived, though he was still old he was quick to jump up in ranks. The regime back at home has changed however, a young … youngish man, formal KGB agent, whom he has trained with has come to power and he knew he would never be allowed back. At the time when they trained together, they were sort of rivals, Vladimir being always better in tactics and him being better in combat. The two of them hated each other the moment they have laid eyes on one another. Everyone knows the feeling of hating at first sight. It could not be helped. When he got fed up with the life of a shinobi he decided to desert his village and head to Tokyo where, he become a broker and a quite successful business man. He had some base for it from his father, but most he learnt from his mentor to whom he started working as a body guard and later he took a liking to Kakuzu and started teaching him.

6:40 he spited in the sink after washing his teeth, and started dressing. The mission he was thinking about was assigned to the organization by the lord of the south territories. He wanted to kill a business man who under the pretence of manufacturing engines would manufacture and sell weapons and armour the lord on the East whose ambition was to reunite the territories. If this man were to stay alive, the lord on the east might just as well pull it off. However this would lead to a bloody war again which means more jobs for them and judging by his aggressive personality, the lord might not stop at the coast… On the other hand Pain argued that if there is no dominate power the instability would endure and they will get a bunch of assignments none the less. Kakuzu judged that from this they will receive less money, but Pain would not listen, for whatever reason he would have the war stopped. …" Whatever" he thought…

7:00 he took on his cloak and went to prepare the mission. He had the necessary contacts to organize everything discreetly and silently. He contacts were the mistresses of the teahouses in Kyoto he got to know while he was working for the man in Tokyo. He will have to phone every damn stupid old cat whom was still alive in the most prominent teahouses. He hated to act nice just to get the means but mostly he had no choice about how to do things ever since he joined. It was quite annoying as well, while he was trying to talk politely one voice would shout in his head to go to the other side of the phone and just kill them for being secretive and annoying. The other would likely to suggest a private night with them and so on. Sometimes he was so confused what was in his head and what was not that, he only maintained a straight conversion by lucky guessing.

7:10 he left the hideout and inhaled the air so deeply, enjoying the freshness of the rainy air. It had not been raining for a month now and the he has missed the feel if it, almost forgotten it. The drizzle was even pleasant and that put a smile on his face. He would not go himself of course for this kind of operation one has to blend in and his face was known in that quarters, and at any rate he seriously doubted that he could sit there and just not to murder anyone. It was true that the mission was to murder someone but only one person, if they would not go neatly about it, it might damage the reputation of the Akatsuki in the underworld and they definitely could not afford that. The biggest difficulty was that most of these man, who frequented such institutes, had usually carried a body guard with them… or more as a matter of fact. They were usually highly skilled ninja or samurai fighters, who also pre tasted everything.

7:40 he has reached the telephone booth and made the first call. He had to find out where the target would turn up next. The plan was to send Itachi as an illegitimate son of the major shareholder of Hitachi and his lover the late celebrated geisha, Hatsukami. These affairs were so withhold form any public appearance that nobody would doubt it. Any way they really did have a son though older than Itachi and died in polio, a couple of years ago. Kisame would be sent as his body guard, for he is quite well known among the others and would definitely fit the profile.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Would definitely fit the profile" that was what he has been told… Well he kind of doubted he would fit any profile…

8:00 Kisame jumped in the sea at the cliff near the hideout. He was not sure for the plans but he did not mind even if they failed. He would have fun, the first fun in ages. He knew everyone in this wretched organization had it's cross to carry but he always felt, that, was no reason not to have fun. He liked his partner alright, he was a friend… or something like that certainly a comrade. However as much as Kisame was an extrovert, Itachi was an introvert. They did have a lot in common, and Itachi sometimes surprised Kisame by adding a random clever cynical line or a joke, which were quite funny and he did laughed from time to time, especially when they were drinking.

8:30 he went out of the water and laid down on the coast, breathing deeply, looking at the clouds. One almost looked like the lamp on the little Chinese restaurant, across the street from his home in the hidden mist. The same little odd deformed shape, the shape of a blow of rice with the two chopsticks as faint clouds, the sun shining right through it as it was lit. Oh he remembered how many times he has ran past it in grate haste, down to the docks, pass the merchants loading the goods of the day, and to the small ship at the end of one dock, on the right. His family was poor, they have never owned a house, only a ship and they have lived there as long as he could remember. According to his mom it was not always like that, his father, Hosigaki-san was one of the wealthiest merchant of the village until one day his ship was raided by pirates, with his pride and determination, he would rather blow up the whole ship than to give even a cent to "those filthy bastards". That was what he did. Only he survived due to his kekeygenkai. It run in his family, he had this just as most of the other members had something in this bloody organization. He was just as natural in water as he was out of it. He had gills and he had lungs. His skin was kind of bluish grey and he had a peculiar look. He was bullied a lot for this in school, until he become taller than all the other kids in the school and he became the bully. The gang leader. He knew the other kids were just afraid of him and never considered them friends at any point. He has merely used them.

8:42 he has gotten up and started walking back. Tonight they would go to a theatre and it would never do going smelling of fish. The journey took most of the day to Kyoto, which meant that they had to leave at 11 to make it in time. He would have fancy fun tonight. He had never had fancy fun, the two things even sounded like an oxymoron in his mind. What he liked was ale or whiskey, and tonight there would be only fancy ass shit … sake most likely. He liked the atmosphere of cheap pubs when one just looked around and saw at least 3-4 people about whom it was obvious that they had been sitting there since 8 in the morning. They usually never even spoke to the barman, he just known them and there was no need to utter a single world. There were the loud drunks singing and shouting, picking a fight from time to time, and there were always the miserable one who just wondered in and was never to be seen again, who told every stupid misery he had to the barmen. Poor barmen having to take all the crap… This, in his mind, was the place of fisherman, factory workers and petty criminals trying to get by. The smell of this places always reminded him of his father, the strong almost intoxicated smell of ale and Poitín, mixed with sweat, vomit, dead fish and the sweet cheap perfume of the whores… sometimes even blood. Poitín was a drink, they have learnt who to make from Irish sailors before the war, and for it was very cheap it was most common in these districts. Sometimes people got so much alcohol poisoning that they did not move for a day or two… They have only declared them dead after 3 days though in most cases they woke up. Oh how many times has his mother sent him there to fetch his father "before the thirsty bastard drinks away our last cent". There was the first time he has seen a television, the small box over the counter has captured his attention, for some reason he did not seem to be able to get his gaze away from it. At the time most pubs had it, for the alcoholism rates were so high these were some of the few institutions, who could offered it. At the time he hated the place, he was never allowed in and the old man always beat him afterwards, most likely out of frustration, that he got dragged away. He never cared though as long as it was not his mum who has received the beating. He knew his dad loved them in his own way. After he got away from the Hidden Mist however, he found himself being drawn to these places, he laughed at this… The irony of life. He was one of the seven grate ninja swordsman of the mist it was so laughable that he should have the same kind of attribute for relaxation as his old man, who was a nobody.

8:47 He was listening to the seagulls, as he walked back on the soft grass bare footed. He has taken Itachi to these places and they had fun sometimes, joking laughing at others, sometimes just listening to new from the outside world... And sometimes sitting, drinking, telling each other deep stupid stuff. They were not talking to one another just beside one another, getting the pain out of their system. It helped. He was a closest thing he had for a friend. Most fun was, however, to laugh at him being extremely awkward around women. It was painfully hilarious, no matter whom she was. A waitress, a striper, a whore, the gift shop girl or just a country girl. He remembered one time a waitress has spilled beer over him, and was so drunk herself she just decided to lick it off… Well he has never seen him more stiffened or more red in the face, almost the colour of his sharingan. The memory still brought tears of laughter in his eyes.

9:02 he got back to the hide out and went to take a shower. The water was cool and fresh against his skin and with resentment he put shower gel on his hand to wash himself. He has always hated the shower gel, it was unnatural and smelled of… well he did not know that but he hated it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

11:21 He hated it, talking to people, having chit-chat. He was never good at it… in fact it easily might be his weakest point. Especially with women… For some ludicrous reason they have made him more nervous. Now he has to go to the geisha district… The woman whose very profession and mean of leaving was to seduce man and now he had to go there and act as though he was doing this all the time. It's not that assuming personality other than his own was a hard task for him, but he was on a quite unfamiliar territory. He had played the delusional, power hungry, cruel psychopath for years now, everyone knew the story and nobody had doubts of it's truthfulness in their minds, especially not his little brother form whom it was intended. Everyone knew the story of the talented youth, who got so carried away by his own abilities that in order to test it he whipped out his entire clan, the almighty Uciha clan overnight by himself, leaving only his little brother behind. His name in the Bingo Book was worth more than the value of 10 of the wealthiest teahouses in Kyoto put together. But that was more familiar territory; it was much easier to get people to hate you after all.

11:40 He looked at Kisame walking next to him, both of their bells tinkling softly on their hat as they went. He let out a deep surrendering breath.  
"I know you like it, but please don't let me embarrass myself too much." He said.  
"Geezzz, do not be stressed out that much" Kisame chuckled. "I am not worried, just think about all the opportunities, which might present themselves tonight. These places are meant for the entertainment of the bourgeoisie, and tonight we just gather intel."  
Itachi granted as a response. He would probably just play the silent, arrogant kid, which might even work.

18:32 They have reached the border of Kyoto and they checked in their hotel room. The hotel rooms, it was customary at the time, to consist of a plain little room, with a bed or more and a luxurious on with a ensuit bathroom and a king sized bed. This was because the rich people of the time, who could afford rooms such as these, or geishas, would almost never travel alone. A body guard and several maids was usually necessary and customary.  
Kisame took the smaller room, it was small indeed with wooden floor and a fairly comfortable single bed with white linen. He did not have electric light bulb in it only an oil lamp on the bedside table with a box of matches. There was only a small window, which he opened upon arrival to let the fresh evening air in. He sat down on the bed putting down his blade, Samahada. He had time… at least 20 minutes, Itachi had to get ready and that would take time. He laid down on his back and started humming a tune he knew from childhood, it was a song they have learnt as a nursery rhyme, though in truth it was a song from an European old book, and an old sailor's song… "fifteen man on a dead man's chest, yohoho and a bottle of rum…" the lyrics went on in his head but he was just humming. He was in a good mood there were no denial. He would go and get drunk tonight on the organization's money, and after the fancy ass people returned to sleep he would go and visit the Yükakü, the pleasure district, since they only had work during the evenings he could sleep during the day. Preferring to sleep during the day was a sort of habit of his. His job back at the hidden mist, was to eliminate the shinobi, who had different ideas then the regime and thus, grown dangerous. He has killed his comrades… a lot of them. He has requested to be Itachi's partner for he felt they had things in common, however he preferred to speak of these lightly with sarcasm and irony hidden in his voice. Though only those, who has known him for quite some times heard these factors. He did like fighting cause it give him a rush of adrenalin and the joy of playing a sort of game … strategies. Since the ones, who were a threat to the regime were one of the best usually it did give him pleasure to fight them… but to kill them… to deliver the final blow… well that never did. If he spoke lightly and often of these things, he had managed to put all the negative emotions to his deep deep sub conscious, thus making it almost non-existent. But they were there none the less and there was no help to it. This whole system of his has given the impression to others that he was enjoying it and sometimes, he almost faked it 'till he made it. It was quite some time when Itachi had figured this out and had become considerably ni-,… well less mean.

18:42 "… drink and the devil has done for the rest yohoho and a bottle of rum" he was humming still, as he took out a bar of chocolate from his kunai pack, and started eating it with almost vulgar enthusiasm. He preferred things to be cheerful and that was all well and nice. He has imagined with a grin how stupid most of the people would be at the party, tonight and at the theatre, he would not feel bored he decided, he would laugh at them silently. That was much better.

18:48 he had two minutes left, but he did not need it. The room was bright, with the reddish light of the afternoon sun reaching inside, trying to grab the leg of the bed, though the shadow was protecting it way too well. The room was airy with an enormous window for the wall on one side, he had the full view of Kyoto stretching underneath like a gigantic oddly shaped hedgehog, who missed the spikes here and there. They were on the 9th floor. Though there were a lot of skyscrapers, left behind from another distant age, like the hotel they stayed in, the more fashionable parts of Kyoto were the so called new fashioned pagodas, which resembled the houses at the late Uchia quarters of Konoha, only more luxurious. Since they were built after the nine-tails has destroyed most of the town, and they wanted to build something fashionable.

He felt oddly exposed with all his weapons being disposed of. It was a costume that wealthy people of the age did not carry weapons, that was something for lesser people, instead their guards did the job. He was wearing a black silk kimono with white under garment, he did not thought much of it, but it was very light, and smooth against his skin. His hair in the pony tail as usual, as he was looking down the city, sitting on the bed, he had caught site of his reflection again in the glass. He was pale as usual and his black circles as big as ever, but in the window, he could not see what was so apparent in the mirror. His eyes were not the dark, almost black colour anymore, they were dark grey now. It was not really significant until one came really close, not yet anyway. He had a little white layer on them, and he knew it was going to be only denser with time, until the only thing he would be able to see is the light or the dark. His eyes would have a milky layer that would hide every shade, every colour, until the only thing he would be able to tell, with his normal eyes is how strong the light is outside. He knew he had to be dead before that happened, but still the though frightened him more than anything. Right now it looked as if a mist was covering the whole city greyish mysterious, though he knew perfectly well that there was no mist, the weather could not be clearer. He could not change his eyes either tonight for that would certainly blow up the plan. He had to be completely exposed to everyone, it bothered him, for the only thing he had trusted more than his weapons was his eyes. It is not that he was afraid of dying, no, he almost welcomed that thought, he was afraid that it would not be his brother who does it…

18:50 "Kisame, Let's get going" said Itachi a little loudly, though there was no need for it, the rice paper dividing the tow rooms let the sound flow perfectly. He heard Kisame sigh get up and pushing the slid door open with an enormous grin.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

19:35 an enormous grin was all what was visible of the man next to them, in the dim light of the stage reaching the back row on the left side. He was not sure why but the grin disgusted, him a little. Kisame knew that grin very well, he knew when this 70 something man went home, he would be pleasuring himself to the thought of that six 14 years old maiko, who had performed a story about a little girl selling matches during a winter night, and looking inside other's houses until she freezes to death. He knew the story was from a faraway exotic place for it included elements suggesting such. It was a sad tale and the performances of the girls were shocking; even he had to admit that much. He did not quite get why people went to places like this, he felt sad and depressed after this, why the hell would anybody want more sadness in this wretched world already flourishing in sadness and pain? It made no sense to him. He though the people here must have a way too good life to come here voluntary.

19:40 the stage went from light, applause, dark, and light again. A girl around 18 entered the stage, she had white skin like marble, not just because of her makeup but her whole body, her fingers, her arms, her feet. She resembled a statue, like the ones which were carved thousands of years ago, standing still with her fans held in front of her mysteriously. The music begin and she started moving slowly, gracefully, every bit of her body put a shade to the story he was dancing. Every inch, her eyebrows, her noise, the curving of the neck, the light gentle lift of her wrist… Now that she has removed the fans from her face it was visible in total and Itachi froze. Some horrible sickening sensation flood over him and he felt he cannot stay here, not for another second, his pulse was quickening and he felt the sweat dripping down his temples. It was all he could do to maintain his face straight and try to control his breathing. He stood up apologized sincerely, from the others in the row and made hasty steps to the restroom. He had to control his pace very carefully as not to arise suspicion. He barely made it there, he has thrown up in the nearest cubicle, and collapsed, panting, trying to catch his breath. She looked like Izumi, from the seat at the back, his shitty eyes, and her face… The pain on her face… Izumi… the same pain on her face. When Izumi died she was smiling, a sad forgiving bitter smile, which haunted him ever since, but just a second before that he has seen the pain in her face more pronounced more grotesque than he could ever hope to be able to put in words, not that he wanted to. He was pretty sure that the girl on the stage was not Izumi but their shape and features looked so much alike that for a second he thought… no he actually believed that, that was her. He has sat there on the cold floor, breathing silently for a while trying to calm himself. He just had to wait until the girl was done, and he was calm again as well. He lit a joint whit shaking hands and took a drag. Halfway done, he felt it was calming him, he felt the sadness and the guilt more pronounced than before but at least now he could hide it. He used the pit of the toilet as astray and was on his way of emptying his head. He sincerely hope that the girl would not be the one entertaining them tonight, he did not think he could bear it.

19:45 he pulled himself together, and was walking back the aisle, he knew he has left a terrible smell behind, and that he must smell too, his hand certainly did, he did not care though. Here were only rich man and no matter what a rich person does no body raises any objections, he knew it would go unnoticed. He went back to his company, a bolding small man around the end of his 50's and another, a younger one around 40, they were both owing to Kakuzu and well that was not a safe thing. They were both regular geisha costumers and were in a good relationship with the target. They were useful. He apologized again and got back to his seat. The bodyguards were sitting just behind them, and he could feel Kisames uncertain searching look on himself, but he did not care.

"Everything alright?" asked Nabuko, the man around his 40s .  
"Yes, excuse me, I had to get some fresh air" He could not think of a better excuse.  
Though, to his surprise the Nabuko just winked. "Well I have never thought you were so easily excited, but I suppose, you have never seen anything like this before, and surly Sonoe is a pretty one"  
Itachi went so red in the face that Kisame could hardly surpass a laugh. Nobody said anything else though while the performance lasted.


End file.
